as soon as
Idioms-
When, just after, as in Please call me as soon as dinner is ready , or As soon as the sun goes down, the temperature drops dramatically . [Late 1200s]
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At the earliest moment that, as in Telephone me as soon as you can . It often takes the form as soon as possible , meaning at the earliest possible moment, as in He'll finish the work as soon as possible . This expression employs possible in the sense of “if it can or could be,” a usage dating from the late 1600s.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The company recently petitioned the FCC for permission to launch a prototype satellite made with a mirror 60 feet wide that could launch as soon as this summer.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
“It was like the magazine cover curse — as soon as that happened, it was like, ‘Oh, boy,’ and, sure enough, we’ve been down since.”
From MarketWatch • Apr. 2, 2026
Americans Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch will make the voyage with their Canadian colleague Jeremy Hansen, and are now preparing to take off as soon as Wednesday.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
Under an expected presidential proclamation, which could be issued as soon as this week, finished products made with imported steel and aluminum would be tariffed at 25%, according to people with knowledge of the plans.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Like a sleepaway camp that feels all-consuming at the time but vanishes from memory as soon as school starts again.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
